Q. Why do you think people are supporting this movement?
The leaders are from the Middle East, and like Hamas, they don't want Israel to exist in the neighborhood. Like Hamas they chant: "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free" which is another way of saying that Israel will be gone. They cloak these extremist demands in social justice and human right rhetoric so that well meaning people are drawn to the cause and make the mistake of thinking that they are receiving accurate information about Israel, when they are not.
Q. Are you seeing an increase in support for Israel or an increase in support of boycotting the purchase of Israeli goods?
I’m seeing both. The boycott movement hurts both Palestinians and Israelis but the boycotters don’t care. They continue to grow their movement. The backlash however, is that the BDS movement is creating new leaders for Israel who are fed up with the allegations against Israel and want to become engaged in helping tell Israel's side of the story.
Q. How has StandWithUs countered these efforts to garner support for Israel?
StandWithUs mobilizes Israel’s supporters, educates them about the issues and about Israel's challenges and its accomplishments. Through programs, missions to Israel, social media, educational videos, fellowships on college campuses and also in high schools, StandWithUs works in cities around the world to make sure that people have the facts they need so that they can participate in the conversation about Israel.
Q. What can consumers do to make their support for Israel more known?
Consumers can buy Israeli goods. More important, they can learn more, so that they can become educators in their own circles. They can ask us for materials to distribute at their synagogues and churches, to their friends and families. They can visit Israel and become even greater experts on the issues. And above all, they should be proud of their support for Israel and be vocal about it.
Q. Do you anticipate an increase in BDS activity during the holiday season?
BDS activists are fervently committed to their cause, and often try to pass anti-Israel resolutions when Jewish students aren’t present, such as during the Jewish holidays.
ANTI-BDS: Boycotting Israeli Goods
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